Karen Tutkowski has traversed 60+ countries and has been photographed attempting to dance with the locals in Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Italy, Mongolia, China, and Uzbekistan (with varying and sometimes blackmailable degrees of success).

For 30+ years she has also been folk dancing with the Milwaukee International Dance recreational group, where she is a part of the leadership team and an instructor, as well as a co-leader of their Dance Plus group. She also dances/co-teaches Israeli dancing at the JCC., spent 20+ years performing with the Viata Romaneasca Romanian group and is currently still performing with the Na Lesa Bulgarian dance group in Milwaukee.

Despite this venerable dance background, Karen is famous for losing partners in any couple’s dance or mixer, including the Gie Gordons. Her U-Sest limit is one per night, her passion for Anton Pann is boundless, and her ability to cover-up dance mis-steps is limitless.

She is a retired high school English teacher with restored dance energy and time, and absolutely no desire to correct anyone’s spelling or grammar. Karen is part of the DCFF planning team and is also working on improving the state of the DCFF Archives on the website. This project includes a downloadable index to dances taught at the Festival throughout its 40+ years.